Was the UK video games tax break sabotaged?

We brought you news earlier this week that the proposed tax break for the UK video games industry was one of the many things to fall under the axe in the Coalition Governments emergency budget.

At the time we all accepted it as an unfortunate inevitability – but something a bit more sinister has started to surface across the Internet.

Was the tax break sabotaged?

The website ‘Develop‘ is running with a story from “multiple, very trusted sources” that one of the biggest game companies in the world exerted pressure on the UK government and British trade associations to abandon plans for UK tax breaks.

They had the following to say;

“Insiders tell us that the publisher spoke to well-placed parliament allies to dissuade any legislative measures.

In the aftermath of the disappointing turn of events, it appears as though one publisher at least is celebrating the success of its own lobbying. This company had apparently viewed game tax relief as a measure that would have given the UK an unfair advantage over other nations.”

Obviously we don’t know how true this story is – but we would like to think that Develop wouldn’t have run with it unless it had very good reason to.

If it is true then it’s absolutely outrageous, and would be a right kick in the balls for the new Government. Or would it? Does the mainstream care enough about the video games industry to kick up a fuss and be heard?